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The TUC has published new guidance for The TUC has published new guidance for lesbian, gay, bisexual people at work to coincide with International Day Against Homophobia today (Tuesday).

The report - LGBT Equality at Work - covers changes in the law for LGBT people, workplace issues and training, recognising diversity, bullying and harassment, and the public sector equality duty.

It also includes guidance on challenging prejudice and discrimination, and promoting equality at work.

International Day Against Homophobia is held on 17 May each year, and the TUC is urging union members and the general public to use this day to remember LGBT people who have been killed around the world simply because of their sexuality.

Homosexuality is still illegal in 77 countries around the world, and in seven countries women, men and children are punished for their sexuality with death sentences.

In January in Uganda David Kato, a gay rights campaigner who sued a local newspaper which outed him as homosexual, was been beaten to death. The Ugandan parliament recently attempted to re-introduce an anti-homosexuality bill that could sentence LGBT Ugandans to death for 'aggravated homosexuality'. There has been mass international lobbying against the bill - which has now been dropped - and the UK government has told the Uganda government of its outrage.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: 'While unions have successfully campaigned for equal rights for LGBT people in the UK, around the world the situation is sadly very different.

'In many countries LGBT people face harassment, intimidation, violence, ostracism, hate crimes - and even death, just because of their sexuality.

'International Day Against Homophobia is an opportunity for unions to highlight the suffering of LGBT people all around the world, and demand that the way they are treated is improved - both in the workplace and in the wider community.'

To mark International Day Against Homophobia, the Cutting Edge Consortium is running a seminar this evening (Tuesday) at the TUC's headquarters in London on how the government's free schools and academies programme could threaten LGBT equality.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

- LGBT Equality at Work is available at www.tuc.org.uk/equality/tuc-19413-f0.cfm

- The Cutting Edge Consortium seminar - Educating for LGBT Equality and Diversity - starts at 6.30pm today (Tuesday) at Congress House, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3LS. For more information please contact Peter Purton on 020 7467 1271 or email ppurton@tuc.org.uk

- All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk

- Register for the TUC's press extranet: a service exclusive to journalists wanting to access pre-embargo releases and reports from the TUC. Visit www.tuc.org.uk/pressextranet

Contacts:

Media enquiries:
Liz Chinchen T: 020 7467 1248 M: 07778 158175 E: media@tuc.org.uk
Rob Holdsworth T: 020 7467 1372 M: 07717 531150 E: rholdsworth@tuc.org.uk
Elly Gibson T: 020 7467 1337 M: 07900 910624 E: egibson@tuc.org.uk